We have the driest desert in the world, with significant solar radiation that is very favorable for the development of renewable energies. Our optimal conditions could even make us one of the most efficient and competitive producers of green hydrogen, the fuel of the future.
Characteristic of Chile is the Atacama Desert, the driest desert in the world. It covers an area of approximately 105,000 km². It is enough to travel to the north of the country to see how Chile is creating a better future for the planet: the different regions have become a true natural laboratory for renewable energy research and innovation in wind and photovoltaic projects, due to the potential of wind and solar radiation. This makes us a very attractive country for specialists in the field and also for those who want to learn in situ about clean energy and care for the planet.
According to Bloomberg New Energy Finance's Climatescope 2020 ranking, Chile ranks first among the most attractive economies to invest in renewable energies, among 108 emerging countries and 29 developed countries.
Chile has more than a dozen wind farms and a similar number of photovoltaic plants, and some of the largest projects in the world are under development: the Cielos de Tarapacá and Copiapó Solar plants. The Punta Palmeras wind farm is located in Coquimbo and the construction of the largest solar thermal plant in Latin America, Cerro Dominador, is being completed in the Atacama Desert. Chile has recently begun to develop its tremendous potential in green hydrogen, which could lead us to be one of the most efficient and competitive producers of this fuel in the world.
During the last years the academic offer related to renewable energies in universities and national technical-professional institutes has grown strongly, it is very wide and allows participating in all the processes of this specialty. Technical careers are of vital importance in the energy industries and there is a great demand for professionals.
In Chile we already have more than 9 careers or specializations in this area:
- At Duoc UC you can study the career of Renewable Energy Technician that enables you to install, maintain, inspect and design small and medium scale projects in the areas of solar photovoltaic, solar thermal and wind energy, in the productive activities of different industrial sectors.
- The graduates of the Technical University Degree in Renewable Energies at the Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, which offers competencies for the development of enterprises and training in the use of instruments, tools and software for monitoring and measuring renewable energy generation systems, have similar capabilities. This university also offers a Master's Degree in Energy Economics.
- Universidad San Sebastián offers the Energy and Environmental Sustainability Technician career, as an intermediate certification of the academic degree in Energy and Environmental Sustainability Engineering, based on a curricular line of renewable energies, energy efficiency and environment.
- In its Engineering area, the Instituto Profesional Santo Tomás offers the Solar Energy Technician program, whose curriculum responds to the needs of the energy sector, which facilitates the labor market insertion of students.
- The Universidad de Santiago de Chile has a Diploma in Energy Efficiency in Air Conditioning Systems, which explores the different stages of a professional project focused on the specialty of air conditioning, as well as the coordination with other specialties of the project.
- In the north of the country, at the Universidad de La Serena, it is possible to specialize through the Master's Degree in Energy and Environmental Sustainability, which provides scientific and technological knowledge and specialized training for research in these areas. You can also go a step further with the PhD in Energy, Water and Environment.
- Towards the south of the country, in the southernmost area of the world, you can study the Master's Degree in Renewable Energies and Energy Efficiency at the Universidad de Magallanes. The program provides comprehensive theoretical and practical training in everything related to energy efficiency and the exploitation of renewable energies.
More about Chile's academic offerings at: learnchile.cl